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All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday – light-duty day for the Exp-22 crew.

Flight Engineer Suraev did the regular daily early-morning check of the aerosol filters at the Russian Elektron O2 generator which Maxim had installed on 10/19 in gaps between the BZh Liquid Unit and the oxygen outlet pipe (filter FA-K) plus hydrogen outlet pipe (filter FA-V). [FE again inspects the filters tonight at bedtime, currently a daily requirement per plan, with photographs to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]

Commander Williams had Day 2 of his third session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, focusing on urine collections for the next 24 hrs. [The NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by supercold MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) dewars), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.]

The two station residents performed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo. ["Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM (Service Module) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.]

As part of the house cleaning, Suraev conducted regular maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2), DC1 (V3), and also Group E fan grills in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP).

The FE performed the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM, including the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP-Moscow. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers and replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers.]

Maxim also completed the regular maintenance of the Russian POTOK-150MK (150 micron) air purification subsystems in the SM & FGB, cleaning the pre-filters with a vacuum cleaner with narrow nozzle attachment and later restarting POTOK in automatic mode.

Interrupting briefly his uborka activity, Suraev took care of the periodic transfer of log file directories for the last 5 days from the Russian RS1 laptop to a USB stick and from there to OCA for downlink to TsUP. [Last time done: 11/30.]

Jeff Williams had ~4 hrs for conducting a VolSci (Voluntary Weekend Science) session with the payload SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites). After a conference with ground personnel, Jeff made room by removing (later replacing) the WHC (Waste & Hygiene Compartment) “Kabin” enclosure, set up the work area in the Lab and two PD-100 camcorders for video capture, dimmed the GLAs (General Luminaire Assemblies) and used an SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop to control the test satellites. [The test session was split into three test groups, each using one, two, and three satellites respectively. The one-satellite test group investigated the effects of fluid slosh on satellites and also had Jeff “practice” driving the satellite first (for later avoidance of another satellite in the next groups). The two-satellite group covered algorithms for formation flight relevant to future space telescopes; it also tested human-machine interactions by having Williams command one satellite to move across the work volume while avoiding collision with the second satellite. The three-satellite tests focused on the lost-in-space problem with three satellites - immediately after deployment in space, satellites may be tumbling and in random locations, the “lost-in-space” algorithm helps a formation of satellites find each other. Background: SPHERES is a test bed for the development and testing of formation flying and other multi-spacecraft control algorithms. SPHERES, done first by Jeff Williams on Expedition 13 and later by Greg Chamitoff (Expedition 18), serves to mature autonomous satellite formation flight, rendezvous and docking algorithms in a long duration, microgravity environment. Single-satellite experiments test new thrusting algorithms utilizing onboard accelerometers and gyroscopes to more accurately apply velocity commands; they also use a new technique to more accurately estimate velocity. The two-satellite sessions introduce new controllers and path planning tools for purpose of docking to a tumbling satellite. Formation flight experiments test initialization of a formation, and obstacle avoidance. These tests help to develop the concept of a “fractionated spacecraft,” which uses a loose formation of small satellites to perform the tasks of a single large spacecraft. Per applicable Flight Rule, SPHERES operations have no CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) output constraints if the CDRA (CO2 Removal Assembly) is operating in dual-bed or single-bed mode. The experiment run is time-critical since Ku-band is required for real-time video downlink.]

At ~8:50am EST, the crew held their regular WPC (Weekly Planning Conference) with the ground, discussing next week's "Look-Ahead Plan" (prepared jointly by MCC-Houston and TsUP-Moscow timeline planners) via S-band/audio, reviewing the monthly calendar, upcoming activities, and any concerns about future on-orbit events.

Later, Jeff transferred the exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, including the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on ARED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

No CEO (Crew Earth Observation) photo targets uplinked for today.

2A BGA Update: Continuing the investigation of the stuck Beta Gimbal Assembly 2A latch, ground engineers have reviewed approximately 200 photographs taken by the crew yesterday, checking for a “worst-case” scenario but finding the hardware looking to be okay. The cables inside the faces of the mast appear to have lost some tension, to be researched at a later time. Loads analysis results would prefer to have the Port SARJ (Solar Array Rotary Joint) parked at 0 deg rather than 15 deg, plus more photographs are desirable for a modal analysis during Monday night’s MRM2 PAO (Propulsion/Service Module) undock attitude maneuver (which will require two 2 external camera views). All in all, the PAO jettisoning is Go.

TVIS Agreement: NASA and Moscow have agreed on Russian use of the TVIS for the time period from 12/1/09 through 12/31/11. [Among many specifics, the agreement calls for NASA to provide spares, sustaining engineering expertise on the ground plus training for all Russian crewmembers and one USOS crewmember as a backup per Increment. It does not include upmass/shipping, stowage or on-orbit crew time. Also, no warranties or guarantees are associated with TVIS condition.]

Weekly Science Update (Expedition Twenty-Two -- Week 1)

3-D SPACE: No report.

AgCam (Agricultural Camera): No report.

ALTCRISS (Alteino Long Term monitoring of Cosmic Rays on the ISS): Complete.

ALTEA DOSI (NASA/ASI): No report.

APEX-Cambium: “Jeff, thank you for your help in saving the Cambium plants, especially on your day off. The PI is setting up a control on the ground to simulate the growth of the Cambium plants in the Ziploc bag.”

BCAT-4/5 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 4/5): No report.

BIOLAB (ESA): No report.

BIORHYTHMS (JAXA, Biological Rhythms): No report.

BISE (CSA, Bodies in the Space Environment): No report.

BISPHOSPHONATES: “Jeff, thanks for your continued support of our experiment.”

ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular): “Jeff, the ICV team was overjoyed that you and your crewmates were able to get the HRF Ultrasound back up and running and that we were able to obtain all the scans needed in the late November timeframe! Thank you for all your efforts in assuring experiment success. All exercise echo session objectives were completed and the PI team is anxious to begin data analysis.”

IMMUNO (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS): Complete.

INTEGRATED IMMUNE: “Jeff, the Integrated Immune PI team received your Health Survey on the ground. The information provided in the survey will help in interpreting the data. The samples that you took earlier this week are currently on the ground in Star City and initial reports from the lab team confirm successful sample collections.”

InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 2): No report.

SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight): “Jeff, we are targeting next week for sleep logging for you. You will also be downloading data from Nicole’s, Frank’s, Bob’s, and your Actiwatches as well as preparing one for TJ.”

SODI/IVIDIL (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument/Influence of Vibration on Diffusion in. Liquids, ESA): On 11/28, the IVIDIL cell arrays and flash disks were exchanged. Cell Array #2 has a binary mixture of 50% water - 50% isopropanol leading to a positive Soret coefficient (when the lighter component is driven towards the higher temperature region). Three runs have so far been performed on the second cell array with relatively high frequency / high amplitude vibration stimuli. Preliminary assessment of science images is on-going.

SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory): Sun window #22 ended on 11/21.

SOLO (Sodium Loading in Microgravity): Samples from Frank De Winne and Mike Barratt were returned on ULF3 (sessions were in Inc 19/20).